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Derrick Pouliot
| birth_place = Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada | draft = 8th overall | draft_team = Pittsburgh Penguins | draft_year = 2012 | career_start = 2013 | career_end = }} Derrick Pouliot (born January 16, 1994) is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected eighth overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins and signed an entry-level contract with them the following September. Playing Career Midget Hockey Playing Career Derrick made his appearance at the midget level for the Moose Jaw Warriors Midget AAA of the SMAAAHL in 2008–09 with a short, five-game stint even though he still qualified to play in bantam at the time. A highly regarded prospect, Derrick was taken at the 1st overall pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft by the Portland Winterhawks, who placed him on their protected list. He then rejoined Moose Jaw for the full season in 2009–10, finishing as a point-per-game player (14 goals, 29 assists). Derrick finished fourth on his team in scoring and as the top-scoring defenceman. During the course of the season, Derrick found time to play for the Winterhawks, first in January and again after the Warriors were eliminated, recording a single assist in seven games, as he played against players who were three to four years his senior. Major Junior Playing Career Derrick joined the Winterhawks for the 2010–11 season. On a team laden with talent (2010 4th- and 5th-overall picks Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter along with future first-round picks in 2011 Sven Bartschi and Joe Morrow), he played the majority of the season and finished with 30 points in 66 games. During the season, Derrick was invited to play for Canada-West at the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, finishing with three assists in five games as Canada-West lost in the fifth-place game to Canada-Atlantic. Portland finished the regular season with 103 points in the standings, finishing one point ahead of US Division rival Spokane to clinch the top spot in the Western Conference. In an opening-round sweep of the Everett Silvertips, Derrick scored a goal in the Game 2 7–2 rout, his only point of the series. Following a win in the conference semifinals against the B.C. Division champion Kelowna, the Winterhawks lost 4–1 to the Kootenay Ice. Derrick posted an assist in each of Portland's first two games in the series, including a helper on Ty Rattie's overtime power play game-winner in Game 1. While Portland had a successful post-season, Derrick's 4 points in 21 games were considered disappointing after a regular season in which he had averaged a half-point per game. Over the summer, he was a member of Canada's gold-medal team at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Derrick returned to the WHL for the 2013–14 WHL season, allowing him to make the Canadian WJC roster before embarking on his professional career. Professional Playing Career On October 21, 2014, Derrick was assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL by the Pittsburgh Penguins. On December 20, 2014, during a rash of injuries to the Penguins defencemen, he was recalled for the first time in his career subsequently he made his NHL debut and scored his first NHL goal on his first shot against Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers. In 2016, he won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs International Accolades Category:1994 births Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players Category:Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players Category:Stanley Cup champions Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen